NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The officers who rushed into The Covenant School are now receiving the Medal of Valor — the highest honor a public safety officer can receive.
Sgt. Jeffrey Mathes, Officer Rex Engelbert, and Detectives Michael Collazo, Ryan Cagle, and Zachary Plese will receive the award given by President Joe Biden.
Those Metro Nashville Police Department officers were the first on the scene of the active shooting, where they wound up killing the shooter. That day, six people died, including three 9-year-olds and three Covenant staffers in March 2023.
President Biden will present the medals on Friday afternoon.
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Here’s a story offering a great example of how a common cause, and a little creativity, can “intersect” to improve quality of life. Our South Nashville reporter Patsy Montesinos shares how some neighbors decided to take action, following the tragic death of a 77-year-old in a hit-and-run along Antioch Pike earlier this year. See how they used “tactical urbanism” to make the area a little safer for all.
- Rhori Johnston
